+9,400 acres burnt in al-Sulaimaniyah in past six months

Shafaq News/ The Directorate of Forestry and Environment Police in al-Sulaimaniyah reported, on Monday, that fires have scorched more than 9,400 acres of land and forests in the past six months.

Brigadier General Hemen Gumerkhan, spokesperson for the directorate, told Shafaq News Agency, "Since January 1, more than 9,400 acres of land and forests and over 1,000 trees were burned in al-Sulaimaniyah governorate."

Gumerkhan added, "During the same period, more than 60 donums of agricultural land and orchards belonging to citizens were also affected by fires."

He emphasized that the damages were material, with no human casualties reported, but noted the significant environmental damage caused by the fires.

"The efforts of the directorate's teams and the civil defense were crucial in extinguishing these fires quickly," Gumerkhan said. "Security teams are conducting investigations to determine the causes of the fires, most of which remain unknown."

Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Interior in Baghdad announced that over 5,500 fires had erupted across Iraq in the first five months.

Notably, Iraq's severe heatwaves, often exceeding 50°C in summer, have increasingly led to wildfires.

The country faces rising temperatures and prolonged droughts due to climate change, drying out vegetation and making it highly flammable.

On the other hand, recent shelling has tragically led to widespread fires.

The region, experiencing heightened tensions, has witnessed artillery fire that ignited extensive blazes across the landscape.

Last week, unidentified drones carried out strikes on several villages, resulting in fires.

Local witnesses noted that the source of the drones remains unknown, whether they belong to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the Iranian opposition parties.